Old Testament Created for use with young, unchurched learners Adaptable for all ages including adults Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 1
M ISSION ARLINGTON MISSION METROPLEX LESSON 6 Old Testament A Family Member Seeks Peace Abraham and Lot Genesis 13 A Family Member Seeks Peace Lesson Goals: Genesis 13:2-9 1.Understand that Abraham worshipped God. 2.Understand that Abraham wanted to be at peace with his nephew, a family member. 3. Understand that Abraham was humble. Memory Verse: We should not look out for our own interests. Instead, we should look out for the interests of others. (I Corinthian 10:24 NIrV) Last week, we studied about Abraham. God called him and Abraham obeyed. God blessed Abraham and promised to make him a blessing. God promised to give Abraham descendants. He also promised to give him the land of Canaan. Read the Bible READ: Genesis 13:2-9 (Hold your Bible open throughout the story.) Begin with Prayer In today s story we will see how God blessed Abraham, just as He said He would. The Bible tells us that, Abram had become very rich. He had a lot of livestock and silver and gold. (Genesis 13:2) But Abraham continued to be a man of God. God wants us to be people who seek him, like Abraham. The Bible says that Abraham returned from Egypt and came to Bethel. He had been there before. Abraham had built an altar there. He worshipped the Lord there. (Genesis 13: 3-4 NIrV) God wants us to worship him like Abraham did. The Bible says that Lot was with Abraham. (Genesis 13:5) Lot was the son of Abraham s brother, Haran, who died. (Genesis 11:31) When God called Abraham, Abraham took Lot with him. (Genesis 12:4) They moved around together. Like most families, Abraham and Lot had problems. The Bible says that God had blessed Lot, too. Both had herds and flocks and tents. But the land did not have enough food for both. Lot s herdsmen began to argue with Abraham s herdsmen. (Genesis 13:5-6) Have you ever had a problem with a family member? It is not fun. Sometimes making up and finding a way to have peace can be hard. It is easy to blame someone else. It is hard to give up our rights. Sometimes it is hard to forgive. If we are not careful we can say and do things that hurt our family members. God does not want us to hurt each other. The Bible says, We should not look out for our own interests. Instead, we should look out for the interests of others. (I Corinthian 10:24 NIrV) God wants us to care about each other. God wants us to think of others first. Abraham did just that. Abraham was very humble. He figured out a way to take care of the problem that he and Lot had. Abraham was in a difficult situation. Lot was a family member. Abraham cared about him. Abraham was older so he could have easily told Lot that he (Abraham) was in charge. Abraham could have told Lot where to go and Lot would have had to obey. But Abraham didn t do that. The Bible says, Don't do anything only to get ahead. Don't do it because you are proud. Instead, be free of pride. Think of others as better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 NirV) That is what Abraham did. Abraham told Lot that he did not want to argue. Abraham chose to be at peace with Lot. Abraham told Lot to choose first. Lot could choose the land where he wanted to live. God had Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 2
Abraham and Lot Bible Facts 1. Abraham became very rich. 2. Abraham worshipped the Lord. 3. The land could not provide enough food for their flocks. 4. Abraham told Lot to choose a place to live. 5. Abraham and Lot separated. promised the land to Abraham, not to Lot. But Abraham was an humble man. Even though he was older, the one God called; and the one to whom God promised the land, Abraham allowed Lot to choose first. Abraham said, Let's separate. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left." (Genesis 13:9) Abraham wanted to have peace. He was willing to let go of pride, position, and power to have that peace. He was humble before God and before Lot. So Abraham allowed Lot to choose first. Lot could have said that Abraham should choose first. Abraham was older. Abraham was his uncle. Abraham had been kind to him. But Lot didn t do that. Lot looked at the land. He saw that there was lots of water in the Jordan Valley. He wanted the best for himself. So Lot chose to live there. (Genesis 13:9). The two men separated. (Genesis 13:11) That happens in families sometimes. Sometimes family members move away because of a job. Sometimes family members move away to go to school. Sometimes people separate because they cannot live together for whatever reason. When God comes to be a part of our lives, it is forever. God promises to be with us always. (Matthew 28:19) God wants us to be at peace. God wants us to think of others before we think of ourselves. God wants us to care about each other and to take care of each other. Abraham did that. Like Abraham sometimes we have to let go of pride. We have to ignore what we want. We have to give in. Or, sometimes we have to give something up in order to have peace. Abraham did that and God blessed him. Abraham s actions and attitude pleased God and brought him peace. Review questions. 1. How did God bless Abraham? (Abraham became rich) 2. Did being rich affect Abraham s worship? (Abraham worshipped God) 3. Why did the herdsmen fight? (The land did not provide enough food for their flocks) 4. What did Abraham do? (Abraham told Lot to choose a place to live) Do you know Jesus? Jesus laid aside His position in heaven to come be born in a stable. Jesus laid aside His power and allowed himself to be beaten and hung on a cross. He did all that so that we could have peace with God. Do you know Jesus? Have you invited Him to be a part of your life? If you invite Him, Jesus will come be a part of your life. God will forgive your sins. God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure. (I John 1:9) He will help you live for Him. Prayer Time 1. Take a moment to listen to God. 2. Thank God for sending Jesus to deliver us from sin. 3. Ask God to help you be a helper in your family. 4. Pray for your family and your church family. Application Goals Abraham was a man who wanted to please God. He worshipped God. He did not allow his riches, his power or his position to keep him from being at peace with his nephew, Lot, a family member. God does not want us to think we are better than someone else for any reason. (Philippians 2:3) God wants us to think of others before we think of ourselves. (I Corinthians 10:24) God wants us to care about each other and to take care of each other. Abraham did that. Like Abraham sometimes we have to let go of pride. When we are humble, it honors and pleases God. Abraham chose to be at peace with God and with his family. Abraham was humble and allowed his nephew to choose first. Abraham and Lot separated. Sometimes family members do that for different reasons. God was with Abraham and with his family. When God comes into our lives, God promises to be with us always. (Matthew 28:19) Planning for the next week: Sarah and Hagar (A Family Faces Jealousy) Genesis 16-18 18 Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 3
Preschool Lesson Read the Bible READ: Genesis 13:2-9 (Hold your Bible open throughout the story.) (Bring costumes or clothes so the children can dress up as Abraham and Lot. You may also just use a piece of construction paper and write the names on them. Have the children sit in two groups. One will be Lot s herdsmen and the other will be Abraham s herdsmen.) (Label one side of your area Egypt. Label another Bethel. Have them move with their leader in their group from Egypt to Bethel as you tell the story.) Abraham had been in a place called Egypt. The Bible says that Abraham returned from Egypt and came to Bethel. He had been to Bethel before. He worshipped God there. (Genesis 13: 3-4 NIrV) Lot was with Abraham. (Genesis 13:5) Lot was Abraham s nephew. (Genesis 11:31) When God told Abraham to leave his family, Abraham took Lot with him. (Genesis 12:4) They moved around together. Like most families, Abraham and Lot had problems. The Bible says that God had blessed Abraham and Lot. Both had lots of animals, but the land did not have enough food for both. The men that took care of Lot s animals began to argue with the men who took care of Abraham s animals. (Genesis 13:5-6) Abraham figured out a way to have peace with Lot. Abraham told Lot, Let s separate. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left. You choose first. Lot chose the land with the greenest grass, so Abraham went the other way and lived in the land of Canaan. Have you ever had a problem with a family member? It is not fun. Sometimes making up and finding a way to have peace can be hard. It may not be easy to say, You choose first. It is easy to blame someone else, but it may be hard to say, I did it. Sometimes it is hard to say we are wrong. It is hard to say, I made a mistake. Sometimes it is hard to forgive or say, I m sorry. If we are not careful we can say and do things that hurt our family members. God does not want us to hurt each other. The Bible tells us not to be selfish. Instead, we should think of others before ourselves. (I Corinthian 10:24) God wants us to care about each other. God wants us to think of others first. God sent Jesus to help us have peace with Him. Jesus showed us how to live and how to care for each other. Sing: I ve Got Peace Like a River, or a song related to the story. Prayer Time 1. Take a moment to listen to God. 2. Thank God for sending Jesus. 3. Ask God to help you put others first. 4. Pray for your family. Did you know? Preschoolers need to know exactly what is expected of them. Be specific. Consider this: Instead of just saying, It is clean up time. Ask them to help clean up by saying, Please return the blocks to their place. Please put the books on the shelf. Please throw that paper into the trash can. Please put the toys in the toy box. Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 4
Learning Activities Memory verse activity Use carbon paper to write the memory verse. Have the children repeat the verse until they learn it. Show them how the paper separates but the imprint is still there. Tell the children that Abraham and Lot were family members. They separated but they were still family. Test your memory Have the children form two lines and work in pairs. Ask them to choose a partner. One child will ask a question (you may prompt them or give them the question). The other child will attempt to answer. If the child answers correctly the will both go to the back of the line. If the child answers incorrectly, only the child who asked the question will go to back of the line. The pairs will have to separate. Tell the children that Abraham and Lot chose to go together, then had to separate because there was not enough food for their animals of both men. Taste activity Bring slices of fruit or another snack. Wrap them individually or put individual slices in baggies. Ask the children to take one and give it to someone else. Tell the children that Abraham was not selfish. Think about it Create some scenarios of times when the children should think of others first. 1. Hand out snacks. 2. Take turns. 3. Help someone else with craft. 4. Bring some items (small toys or candy) the children can take home. Have them pick one out that they like. Ask them to give it to someone else. Touch activity Bring some ice. Bring some warm towels (or hot water that you can put the towel in so that it will be warm). Allow the children to hold the ice in their hands. Then allow them to hold a warm towel in their hand. Tell the children that relationships can sometimes feel different. When we are at peace with each other, the relationship feels good. Run and play Play races. Run to the different areas where Abraham and Lot went. Just label different areas with construction paper. Have a leader call out the places the children need to run towards. Listen Take time for silence. Ask the children to think about their relationships. Ask them if there is anyone with whom they are not at peace. Ask them to talk to God about helping them to be at peace. Sing Sing, I ve Got Peace Like a River, or a song related to the story. Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 5
Memory Verse We should not look out for our own interests. Instead, we should look out for the interests of others. I Corinthians 10:24 NIrV Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 6
Word Art Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 7
Word Puzzle N L A T T S E R E T N I E T N O I N A P M O S N M G B R Y R I C H R P O S E A I M R L N E E Q O D I S R Y A E H R N A N R L H T N I T Z E A V D E F L D A O N E H P Q E H S R E M X K E U G R A A B R A H A M O P H E I F J P A I G S T S H A V L E D Q G T O I M R E Z M A N D O L U D N L H W ABRAHAM LOT ARGUE INTEREST OTHERS LAND RICH NEPHEW HERDSMEN Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 8
Word Puzzle N L A T T S E R E T N I E T N O I N A P M O S N M G B R Y R I C H R P O S E A I M R L N E E Q O D I S R Y A E H R N A N R L H T N I T Z E A V D E F L D A O N E H P Q E H S R E M X K E U G R A A B R A H A M O P H E I F J P A I G S T S H A V L E D Q G T O I M R E Z M A N D O L U D N L H W ABRAHAM LOT ARGUE INTEREST OTHERS LAND RICH NEPHEW HERDSMEN Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 9
Anagram MHRBAAA OLT EEAAPRTS DGRAUE EEACP DPSRWHEIOP ESSTTRNEI ESHTRO SFKLCO Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 10
Anagram ABRAHAM LOT SEPARATE ARGUED PEACE WORSHIPPED INTERESTS OTHERS FLOCKS Mission Arlington Mission Metroplex Curriculum Lesson 6 Page 11